Elpida
by Doritos1996
Summary: Just a small one-shot about Mai and Zuko having their first child. Written by request. Elpida is a greek word which means hope, just in case you're wondering :


**Hey, guys! That's a one-shot about Mai and Zuko expecting their first child! It is written by request by cutiereader968! Hope you like it!**

The layer of the night had fallen several hours before, bringing a cool breeze with it. Inside the Fire Nation palace and into the royal couple's room, things were quiet. Soft air passed through the open window, making the red curtain flow in waves. It filled the room with the smell of jasmine and fruit blossom from the rich palace gardens, making the couple that slept soundly feel peaceful.

When the sky's color started lightening up, turning into a deep shade of purple, Mai's eyes opened up. The familiar tingling sensation in her stomach was too much to bear. It would start like butterflies moving their wings in her belly until it would get to the point of not being able to breathe.

Mai got out of the bed swiftly, hoping that Zuko wouldn't wake up, and ran to the bathroom, finding the bucket she used every morning just in time. Her stomach lurched out everything, making her frown at the disgusting sight.

When she was sure that her stomach was empty, she rinsed off the bucket and her mouth and walked out of the bathroom, exhausted once again, only to find that Zuko was standing a few feet away with his hands going through his hair in worry.

"Mai!" He shouted once she got out, running to her. "Again?" He asked, wrapping welcome warm hands around her cheeks. Mai nodded. He had fought the urge to run into the bathroom when he noticed that she was missing from bed, but he couldn't hide his worry now. His face was scrunched up and his brow was furrowed. "Mai, you'll see the physician today and that's final." He said, trying to sound stern, but his worry made his tone soft.

"It's just a flu, Zuko." She tried to reason, although she was getting tired of the sickness as well. "I'll be fine after I get some sleep." She murmured tiredly, falling on the bed once more.

"That's what you've been telling me every morning!" Zuko shouted. "That's the fourth day in a row—something's wrong." His hands slid down to grab hold of her slender fingers. "_Please_."

Mai rolled her eyes to Zuko's worry, trying to prove that there was nothing wrong. Yes, she did have that morning sickness for some time now, but nothing else was wrong. But Zuko would always be Zuko. "Fine." She agreed, knowing that it would make him feel better.

Zuko smiled thankfully. "I'll have a servant bring him here."

Mai nodded and proceeded on putting on some clothes, while Zuko poked his head out of the door. Spotting a servant, he gave him the order.

Some minutes later, they were both dressed, waiting for the physician. "Zuko, just go to your meeting. I'll be fine." Mai suggested, watching her husband for two years pace the room up and down in anxiety.

"I'm not leaving until I learn what's wrong." He answered, running his hands through his hair.

"Just sit down, then! You're making me feel dizzy."

Zuko sighed and sat on the couch next to Mai. He looked at her in worry, his mind travelling to crazy scenarios and possibilities. Despite his power as Firelord and the calmness he had when it came to handling difficult situations, he still couldn't help the worry that covered every cell of his body when it came to Mai. A small cough or a headache would always make him feel uneasy.

"Will you stop looking at me as if I'm about to vanish any second?" Mai said, half dryly and half jokingly. "Zuko, really, I feel fine." She said more softly when she saw the concern in his eyes, putting a delicate hand on his cheek.

He smiled, an action that took him a lot of effort, and covered her hand with his, holding on for life. "Maybe I'm overreacting a bit." He admitted. "But I can't help it, Mai!"

That was when a knock on the door made both of them jump in surprise. Zuko rose quickly to open the door for the physician. "Mr. Hau, thank you for coming."

The physician—an old man dressed in typical, red, Fire Nation clothes—bowed at the couple. "My Lord, my Lady. What can I do for you?"

"It's me." Mai answered quickly, stopping the worried and exaggerating flow of words that would leave Zuko's mouth. "I'm feeling sick every morning for four days now."

Her bored tone didn't surprise the physician—most of the people had gotten used to it. "I'll do the best that I can." Hau promised. "My Lord, could you please wait outside?"

Zuko's mind travelled to possibilities once again but he didn't argue. Giving one last look to Mai, he walked out of the room and proceeded on pacing the corridor, earning strange looks from the guards and servants that passed by.

Seconds seemed to pass agonizingly slowly for Zuko. The frantic pacing didn't seem to help cease his worry and his hair had become a mess because he ran his hands through it all the time.

What seemed like an eternity later to Zuko, Hau got out of the room, glancing at Zuko.

Zuko ran to him. "What's wrong with her? Is it some kind of a disease? A flu? Is it serious? And why are you smiling?"

Hau just shook his head, the smile plastered on his face. "I believe that Firelady Mai would like to tell you herself." He said, bowing before leaving.

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that if it was something serious Mai wouldn't tell him everything. He stepped in the room cautiously. This time, to his great surprise, it was Mai that was pacing.

"Mai!" His hands wrapped themselves around hers, stopping her from walking. "What did the physician say? Is it bad?"

Mai looked at him, her face an emotionless mask. Zuko, however, saw her eyes gleaming with something that he couldn't put his finger on. "I wouldn't consider it bad." Mai answered, a small smile tugging at the edge of her lips. "Why don't you sit down?"

"I don't want to sit down." Zuko complained, not moving from his spot. "Just tell me."

Mai decided that, as much as she enjoyed seeing him fidget, it was time for him to learn. "Zuko, I—I don't know how to say this." Her eyes scanned the room, as if seeking for some help, before resting on his golden ones. "Oh, whatever. I'm…I'm pregnant." She blurted out, the words bringing a huge smile on her face. Mai had never really thought about kids and babies. But she knew one thing—the baby would be something coming from their love for each other. And that was enough to give her the encouragement she needed.

Zuko on the other hand stayed frozen—golden eyes widened and lips slightly parted. Some seconds passed like this, until the words finally sunk in. The gaping mouth turned into a huge smile that seemed to reach his ears and light up his face. "Oh, Agni." He whispered; words weren't enough to explain the variety of emotion that washed over his body. So, he hugged her as close as possible.

Mai did the same and none of them said anything while they stayed in each other's embrace.

Actions spoke louder than words, after all.

* * *

One summer night, while the warm breeze passed through the windows, neither Mai not Zuko slept; their eyes fixed on a small bundle that rested in a crib next to their bed.

"He's so beautiful." Mai whispered, looking at the small tuft of black hair that peeked out under the warm red blanket.

"Yeah, he is." Zuko whispered back, his fingers holding onto Mai's more tightly.

The two-month old boy turned around in his crib, humming softly. Both Mai and Zuko looked at each other and smiled.

"And he's ours." Mai whispered, reaching to trail a finger down the infant's cheek.

"All ours." Zuko answered back, smiling at the sight of his wife and son.

At this moment, they both knew one thing—they would _never_ be like their parents. They would never cause any pain to their boy and no matter what the future would bring, they would deal with everything together.

**Hey :) As I said, this was written by request by cutiereader968. Thanks for giving me the idea! I love requests! I hope this is what she was looking for!**

**It's a bit short, but anyway! Sorry for any kind of mistakes I have—I'm not a native speaker. **

**By the way, Elpida is a Greek word and it means Hope. I'm not sure why I chose that title, it's just came to me! **

**So, review if you like it! I've never written anything family-oriented about Zuko and Mai, but I have to admit that it turned out pretty well! Let me know what you think and feel free to request anything you like about Maiko!**

**Check out the rest of my Maiko stories as well!**

**And review!**

**~Dora.**


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